Ambulance cover in Navan reduced once again: claim

Concerns have been expressed for patient safety following claims that ambulance cover in Meath has been reduced yet again. Sources in the health sector insist the number of ambulances stationed in Meath have been reduced over the past fortnight from four to three on weekdays, which they have described as a "recipe for disaster". However, the HSE North-East is denying any cuts to ambulance crews operating from Meath. Meanwhile, it has emerged that when an ambulance was called to a medical emergency in Cortown, Kells, last Sunday, the vehicle would have had to come from Ardee but the patient was driven by car to hospital instead. Two separate sources have expressed serious concern at the reduction in the number of ambulances based in the county, warning that it could put lives at risk. They say it would take just one accident with three injuries to leave Meath reliant on assistance from other counties, where the ambulance service is also overstretched. Last summer, ambulance cover in the county at night was reduced from three to two and there are currently two ambulances, one in Navan and one in Dunshaughlin, operating at night. There are also three ambulances operating in Meath during the daytime on Saturdays and Sundays. This week the HSE insisted there was no reduction in the number of ambulances operating in Meath and that there were still four ambulances in the county on weekdays. To read the full story see this week's Meath Chronicle